Improvement in children s sleds



N. P. LINDERGREEN.

Sled.

Patented Aug 21, 1866.

HIHGSSGS N. PETERS, PNOTO-UTHOGRAFMER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

N. P. LINDERGREEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDRENS SLEDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,344, dated August 21, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, N. P. LINDERGREEN, of Boston, Suffolk county, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Childrens Sleds; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingd raw-v ing, forming part of this specification.

Children, when coasting upon sleds, are not only in great danger of being run over by each other, but in many other ways liable to become hurt, owing to the want of some means of properly steering or guiding and stopping the sled, according as the occasion may require, in an instant; and to provide a means for accomplishing the above is the object of the present invention, and is satisfactorily secured thereby, it consisting in arranging upon each side or runner of the sled a lever of such a form that either one or the other, or both at once, can be brought to bear upon the surface over which the sled is moving, and thus direct the sled either to the right or left, or retard or stop its movement, according as the case may be or is desired.

And, furthermore, by my improved steering apparatus for the childrens sleds the wearing out of the heels and toe portions of the boots or shoes worn by the children, which occurs with the now prevalent mode of steering by them, is entirely obviated, my improved steering arrangement also allowing the children to sit in an upright position upon the sled, and yet have perfect control over its movement, the importance and advantages of which are Obvious.

In accompanying plate of drawing my improvement in childrens sleds is illustrated, the figure being a perspective view of a sled having it applied thereto, and showing the sled in use.

A in the drawing represents a sled, which may be made of any of the usual forms and construction, and of any desired size or material, such as is ordinarily used for the purpose.

B B are the runners or sides of the sled, on each of which is hung a similar brake-lever, C, turning upon a fulcrum at D, and with one arm, E, of the levers bent down, and the other, F, extending toward the front end of the runner, passing through a guide clasp or band,Gr.

H is the rope by which the sled is drawn, hung in the front end of each of the runners or sides B, which rope, through short pieces I, is connected with the front end of the levers C, so that if the person sitting upon the sled should pull upon either the right or left portion of such rope, or both, either one or both of the levers, according as the case may be, will be swung upon their respective fulcrums in the proper direction to bring the lower ends of their bent portions to bear upon and against the surface over which the sled is passing, and thereby guide or steer the same either to the right or left, or retard and entirely stop its travel, as is obvious without further explanation, the rope, when used to drag the sled, then producing no effect upon the brake-levers G, as the connecting pieces or ropes I are then slack, they being made of suitable length therefor.

From the above description of my improvement in sleds it is plain to be seen that all of the many advantages hereinbefore recited are fully secured, and in the most practical, simple, and economical manner.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent- 1. The brake-levers O, hung to and upon the sides of a childrens sled, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Connecting the rope of the sled to the brake-lever 0 through short pieces I, sub.- stantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

n. P. LINDERGBEEN.

Witnesses THOMAS SHAW, J .nvms MCCARTHY. 

